Find out how popular the last name Panama is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Panama.

Panama, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Panama surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Panama in America

Panama is the 65964th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Panama surname appeared 300 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Panama.

We can also compare 2010 data for Panama to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Panama

The surname Panama originated in the country of Panama, located in Central America. It is believed to have its roots in the indigenous Cueva language, which was spoken by the Cueva people who inhabited the region before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors.

The name Panama is thought to be derived from the Cueva word "Panamá," which means "abundant fish" or "place of many fish." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a location known for its plentiful fishing resources.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Panama can be found in the writings of the Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa, who reached the Pacific Ocean in 1513 and claimed the region for Spain. Balboa referred to the area as "Panamá" in his reports, likely adopting the name from the local inhabitants.

In the 16th century, the Spanish established the settlement of Panama City, which quickly became an important trading hub and gateway to the Pacific Ocean. The name Panama became closely associated with this strategic location and its role in the Spanish colonial empire.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Panama. One of the earliest was Juan de Panama, a Spanish soldier and explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expeditions in Mexico in the early 16th century.

Another prominent figure was Francisco de Panama, a Spanish navigator and cartographer who produced some of the earliest detailed maps of the Panama region in the late 16th century.

In the 19th century, José de Obaldía Panama was a prominent Panamanian politician and diplomat who played a crucial role in the country's independence from Colombia in 1903.

During the 20th century, Gilberto Arias Panama was a renowned Panamanian artist known for his vibrant paintings depicting the culture and landscapes of his homeland.

More recently, Marcelino Madrid Panama was a Panamanian writer and poet who gained recognition for his works exploring themes of identity, heritage, and the complexities of modern life in Panama.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Panama

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Panama.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Panama was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Panama has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Panama was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Panama, please contact us.

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